How Does One Become A Christian?
As I was perusing Helium.com today looking for a topic about which I could write, I came across "How Does One Become A Christian?" There was a time when I would have simply answered the question with three steps: 1) You must acknowledge that you are a sinner, 2) You must decide to repent of your sin and 3) you must turn to Jesus Christ and decide to follow Him alone. These things would still be at least part of my answer, but I don't want to answer the question just yet. Rather, I would like to focus on the question itself and what it implies.
The question "How does one become a Christian?" implies that you are something else right now. What are you? Are you a Buddhist or a Muslim or a Jew or an Atheist or and Agnostic? Do you hold to any belief system? The word "become" implies some kind of a change from what you were. Dictionary.com says "to become" means to undergo a change or development. So to become a Christian, you will have to change from what you are into something else.
What is Christian? The word "Christian" means a lot of things to a lot of people. To be a Christian can mean being from the part of the world that is largely Christian. So in that case to become a Christian you become a citizen of a particular "Christian" country. It can mean being born in a family of people who claim to be Christian. So in that case, you would already be a Christian and wouldn't need to convert or change. It can also mean to belong to one of the many Christian denominations, such as Presbyterian, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran or Methodist. In which case, to become a Christian would simply mean finding out which branch of Christianity you want to be a part of and join up according to their guidelines. Some say, being a Christian can mean accepting Christian principles and living by them. And still others say that becoming a Christian is acknowledging you are a sinner, repenting of your sin and turning to Christ.
There is one more meaning of Christian which I have not yet addressed, and I believe that it is the true biblical answer. Now, I'm not saying that there are not real Christians in any or all of the categories mentioned above. I am simply saying that the groups themselves do not necessarily represent what true Christianity is. So what is a real Christian?
According to the book of Acts in the Bible, Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. This is actually the first time the word is mentioned in the Bible. From this passage we learn two things about being a Christian. 1) A Christian is a disciple. A disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ. The word "disciple" comes from the Greek word "mathetes" and it means a learner or one who follows and adheres to the teachings of someone. In this case, the disciples were following Christ. 2) The word "Christian" literally means, "little Christ". So we learn that the disciples were so much like Christ in their adherence to His teachings and the example of their lives that they were called "little Christs." So becoming a real Christian is becoming so much like Jesus Christ, that people could say about you that you are a "little Christ".
The next question we have to ask is this? Who is Jesus Christ? And I'll get to that in my next post.
The question "How does one become a Christian?" implies that you are something else right now. What are you? Are you a Buddhist or a Muslim or a Jew or an Atheist or and Agnostic? Do you hold to any belief system? The word "become" implies some kind of a change from what you were. Dictionary.com says "to become" means to undergo a change or development. So to become a Christian, you will have to change from what you are into something else.
What is Christian? The word "Christian" means a lot of things to a lot of people. To be a Christian can mean being from the part of the world that is largely Christian. So in that case to become a Christian you become a citizen of a particular "Christian" country. It can mean being born in a family of people who claim to be Christian. So in that case, you would already be a Christian and wouldn't need to convert or change. It can also mean to belong to one of the many Christian denominations, such as Presbyterian, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran or Methodist. In which case, to become a Christian would simply mean finding out which branch of Christianity you want to be a part of and join up according to their guidelines. Some say, being a Christian can mean accepting Christian principles and living by them. And still others say that becoming a Christian is acknowledging you are a sinner, repenting of your sin and turning to Christ.
There is one more meaning of Christian which I have not yet addressed, and I believe that it is the true biblical answer. Now, I'm not saying that there are not real Christians in any or all of the categories mentioned above. I am simply saying that the groups themselves do not necessarily represent what true Christianity is. So what is a real Christian?
According to the book of Acts in the Bible, Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. This is actually the first time the word is mentioned in the Bible. From this passage we learn two things about being a Christian. 1) A Christian is a disciple. A disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ. The word "disciple" comes from the Greek word "mathetes" and it means a learner or one who follows and adheres to the teachings of someone. In this case, the disciples were following Christ. 2) The word "Christian" literally means, "little Christ". So we learn that the disciples were so much like Christ in their adherence to His teachings and the example of their lives that they were called "little Christs." So becoming a real Christian is becoming so much like Jesus Christ, that people could say about you that you are a "little Christ".
The next question we have to ask is this? Who is Jesus Christ? And I'll get to that in my next post.
Comments